Safety pen for an infant



Aug. 23, 1966 B. L. BRYANT 3,267,494

SAFETY PEN FOR AN INFANT Filed Feb. 1, 1965 FIG.5

PIC-3.5 2

INVENTOR. BEN L. 52 Y/YNT 3,257,494 Patented August 23, 1.966

3,267,494 @AFETY PEN FUR AN HNFANE Ben L. Eryant, Newport Beach, (Ialif. (335 Weymouth Place, Laguna Beach, Calif.) Filed Feb. 1, 1965, fier. No. 4.293%

14 Claims. (Cl. 5-93) Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a safety pen for an infant (which shall also mean a small child throughout this application) and, moreparticularly, the present invention pertains to a safety pen for an infant which is of a type such that the infant can be placed therein in an infants seat or chair in a positively retained and readily visibly observable manner, and with the safety pen being adapted to be easily rolled from one location to another while the child is retained therein in said infant's seat or chair. This makes it possible for a mother, or other person, who is doing the housework and who necessarily must move from room to room, to place the child in the safety pen of the present invention in a retained position within the infants chair and then place the entire safety pen at a convenient location in the room where the mother will be working for some time. The mother can then proceed with her houswork and can very easily observe the infant and see that he is all right and yet when the mother wishes to move from one room to another, all that is necessary for her to do is to roll the entire safety pen from the first room through a door and into the second room where the pen can be stopped and the mother can then proceed with further housework in the second room. In other words, the novel safety pen of the present invention makes it possible to view the infant while in the safety pen and also makes it possible to easily roll the pen from one room to another or from one location to another without the necessity of removing the infant from within the safety pen during the rolling transporting movement of the safety pen from one location to another.

With the above points in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel safety pen for an infant which can be rollably moved from one location to another without the necessity of removing an infant from a retained position therein within an infants seat or chair and which is of a transparent construction such that the infant can be easily viewed at all times without the necessity of opening the safety pen.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel safety pen of the character referred to herein, having any of the advantages referred to herein and including any of the features referred to herein, either generically and/ or specifically, and individually or in combination, and which is of extremely simple, inexpensive construction adapted for large-scale mass manufacture at relatively low cost whereby to be conducive to widespread use thereof.

Further objects are implicit in the detailed description which follows hereinafter (which is to be considered as exemplary of, but not specifically limiting, the present invention), and said objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after a careful study of the detailed description which follows hereinafter.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, one exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the hereinbelow-described figures of the accompanying single drawing sheet and is described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 1 is a reduced-size, three-dimensional view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of the present invention in fully assembled, closed, operative relationship, but without an infant being positioned in retained relationship therein and seated in the infants chair or seat mounted therein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, taken substantially along the plane indicated by the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1, and in this instance showing, in phantom lines, an infant in seated retained relationship within the infants seat or chair carried within the safety pen. In other words, this view shows the device in fully operative relationship, both with respect to the phantom line infant and with respect to the fragmentary underlying portion of a floor or other horizontal auxiliary supporting surface adapted to support the safety pen in either stationary relationship thereon or in rolling transporting relationship therealong.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, partially broken away View, taken substantially on a vertical plane on the central longitudinal axis of FIG. 2, and illustrates the horizontal support bar means in elevation (and with certain portions thereof broken away for space conservation reasons) and fragmentarily shows the end wall portions of the enclosure means, comprising the safety pen, in section and similarly fragmentarily shows portions of the strap loop means supporting the infants seat or chair in section, with front and bottom portions thereof being broken away and with rear portions thereof being shown in elevation. All upper, lower and rear portions of the enclosure means comprising the safety pen are deleted from FIG. 3 for reasons of drawing space conservation and clarity.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, taken substantially along the plane of the arrows 44 of FIG. 3, and illustrates a typical one of the two similar end mountings of the horizontal support bar means with respect to the end wall means of the enclosure means comprising the safety pen.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of a typical exemplary upper portion of one pair of strap loop portions carried at upper ends of one side pair of the strap means supporting the infants seat or chair and also illustrates a typical exemplary one of the corresponding controllably engageable and disengageable snap fastener means for rotatably fastening same around corresponding portions of the horizontal support bar means, as such structure would appear taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 3. However, it will be noted that the near sides of the ill-ustrated upper supporting strap loop portions (which are not shown in FIG. 3) are illustrated in FIG. 5 and the four elements of the exemplary controllably engageable and disengagea ble snap fastener means are shown in disengaged relationship such as would occur just prior to engagement or just after disengagement thereof.

FIG. 6 is a reduced-size elevational view illustrating the complete safety pen in the midst of a rolling transporting operation thereof along a floor sunface; and through an open door, such as would occur when rollably moving the safety pen (normally, with a child therein) from one room through the open door into another room.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary view, taken substantially along the plane indicated by the arrows 7-7 of FIG. 1 and illustrates an exemplary toy or plaything hanging from a central portion of the horizontal support bar means. It should be noted that nothing behind the plane 7-7 of FIG. 1, with the exception of the exemplary toy and the bead chain carrying same, is shown in this view for reasons of drawing simplification and clarity.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view of the latching means shown at the right side of FIG. 2 and, by reason of the enlargement thereof, more clearly illustrates the exemplary structure of said latching means.

Generally speaking, the safety pen of the present invention may be said to comprise a substantially cylindrioal hollow? enclosure means, such as is generally designated at 11, and which, in the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, comprises a substantially circular or cylindrical side wall means 12 which is substantially cylindrical around a centrally positioned, normally horizontally directed imaginary axis, such as is indicated in broken lines at 13 in FIG. 1. It will be noted that the substantially circular or cylindrical side wall means 12 has integral oppositely outwardly convex and usually substantially partially spherical (although not specifically so limited in all forms of the invention) end means, such as generally designated at 14, which usually are similarly symmetrically positioned in oppositely directed relationship with respect to said nor- .mally horizontal imaginary axis 13 and which effectively sealingly close off opposite ends of the cylindrical side wall means 12 so as to define the complete, substantially cylindrical, hollow enclosure means previously referred to and generally designated at 11.

In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, the hollow enclosure means, generally designated at 11, is divided into two substantially semicylindrical portions, such as generally designated at 11A and 11B, and each having a substantially semicylindrical side wall portion 12A and 12B, respectively, and each having corresponding end wall portions 14A and 14B, respectively, all adapted to effectively join together substantially along the junction plane indicated by the reference numeral 15, which, in the exemplary form illustrated when the enclosure means 11 is in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, lies very slightly above the normally horizontal imaginary axis 13, although not specifically so limited in all forms of the invention.

It will be noted that in the exemplary form illustrated, the substantially semicylindrical side wall portion 11A which is shown uppermost in FIGS. 1 and 2 and which may, therefore, be called the upper side wall portion 11A, has -a rear edge 16A which normally lies in abutting, overlying relationship with respect to the corresponding rear edge 16B of the lower semicylindrical wall portion 12B, with an effective hinge means generally designated at 17, effectively interconnecting said rear edges 16A and 16B to allow relative opening and closing movement of said upper and lower portions 11A and 11B of the enclosure means 11 in a substantially vertical direction. It will be noted that, in the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, the hinge means 17 is exteriorly flush and non-projecting with respect to the exterior surface of the complete cylindrical side wall means 12 of the enclosure means 11. This is in order to prevent any interference with free rolling movement of the complete enclosure means by rolling contact of the outer surface of said complete cylindrical side wall means 12 along a floor surface, such as that indicated somewhat diagrammatically and schematically at 18 in FIGS. 2 and 6, when the complete enclosure means 11 comprising the safety pen is to be rollably transported from one location to another.

It will be noted that the upper and lower substantially semicylindrical side wall portions 12A and 12B also have front edges, as indicated at 19A and 19B, which are effectively provided with controllably lockable and unlockalble, manually operable latching means, such as is generally designated at 21, for normally effectively fastening and locking said front edges 19A and 19B of said side wall means 12 together, whereby to correspondingly lock the complete upper and lower portions 11A and 11B of the enclosure means 11 together in the manner clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 6 and 8. However, it should be noted that the latching means 21 is of a manually controllably unlatchable type adapted to be manually unlatched when a mother desires to open the complete enclosure means 11 to either place an infant therein or to remove an infant therefrom.

In the exemplary form illustrated, it will be noted that the latching means 21 comprises an inwardly positioned, downwardly directed, resilient finger 22 carried by the upper edge 19A and having an outwardly directed projecting portion 23 which is adapted to be lockingly received within a corresponding inwardly directed recess 24 carried by the lower edge 193 when in fully locked relationship as is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 8.

It will be noted that finger-engageaub-le slots 25A and 25B are positioned on the outer surfaces of said edges 19A and 198, respectively, so that they may be digitally engaged from the exterior of the completely closed device, and force may be exerted thereagainst in opposite directions whereby to effectively cause resilient inward deflection of the downwardly extending finger 22 to a degree such as to disengage the projection 23 and recess 24 to allow the enclosure means 11 to be effectively opened.

Forcible movement of the relatively open upper and lower enclosure portions 11A and 11B toward each other from an open relationship will cause the projecting element 23 of the resilient finger 22 to strike the inner part of the lower edge 19B and to be inwardly deflected so as to allow closure of the complete device into a locked relationship such as is clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 8. This is made possible primarily by reason of the resilient nature of the finger 22.

However, the above-described structure is merely one exemplary type of latching means 21 and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific structure best shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 and just described in detail. Actually, various other suitable types of latching means may be employed in lieu thereof within the broad scope of the present invention. This is also true with respect to the detailed structure of the hinge means 17.

Each of the end wall means 14, in the preferred exemplary form of the invention illustrated is provided with ventilation aperture means for facilitating the circulation of air through the hollow interior I of the enclosure means 11. In the exemplary form illustrated, said ventilation aperture means are generally designated by the reference numeral 26 and comprise a plurality of holes formed in each of the two end wall means 14, which will greatly facilitate circulation of air through the interior I of the enclosure means and which will not contact the floor surface 18 when the entire device is rolled along the cylindrical side wall means 12 during rolling transporting movement of the entire enclosure means 11 from one location to another, as previously mentioned. Said ventilation aperture means 26 may merely comprise open holes or may be provided with effective screen means thereover, if desired.

The two opposite end wall means 14 are provided with a normally horizontally directed support bar means 27 which lies in a position substantially concentric with respect to said substantially cylindrical side wall means 12 and said end wall means 14 of the enclosure means 11 and extends centrally horizontally across the hollow interior I of said enclosure means 11. In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, said support bar means 27 has opposite ends 27E, each of which is adapted to be received within a mounting recsss defining boss or inwardly directed and projecting mounting means 28 integrally carried by the lower enclosure means portion 11B adjacent to the top edge thereof, as is best shown in FIG. 4. Said opposite ends 27E of the support bar means 27 may be rotatably carried in said inwardly directed and projecting mounting bosses or means 28, or may be non-rotatably carried therein in certain forms of the invention and, in the exemplary form illustrated, as best shown in FIG. 4 with respect to one end 27E of the supporting bar 27 and one mounting means 28, comprises an arrangement wherein the inwardly directed mounting means 28 has a slot 29 at the top thereof to allow the bar end 27E to be downwardly slidably inserted into the inwardly directed mounting means 28, after which a locking plug 30 is slidably inserted thereinto and is firmly fastened in place, either by adhesive means, locking pin means, or any other suitable fastening means. However, it will be clearly noted that various other types of mounting arrangements for either nonrotatably or rotatably mounting the opposite ends 27E of the bar 27 are intended to be included within the broad scope of the present invention in lieu of the specific structure illustrated in the figures of the drawing and just described in detail.

It will be noted that the support bar 27 lies substantially on and coincident with the previously mentioned horizontal imaginary axis 13 so that irrespective of rolling movement of the entire enclosure means 11 by rolling the cylindrical side wall means 12 thereof along an underlying floor surface such as that shown at 18 in FIGS. 2 and 6, said support bar member 27 will still be positioned substantially coincident with said imaginary axis 13, and, thus, will properly support an infants seat, such as generally designated at S, in substantially the same type of depending relationship as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thus making it possible to roll the exterior cylindrical side wall means 12 along the floor surface 18 from room to room or from one location to another while an infant, such as that shown in phantom lines at 31 in FIG. 2, is seated in the infants chair S, which depends by the strap means 32 from the centrally positioned horizontal support bar 27. This action is made possible by reason of the fact that the upper strap loop portions 33 of the strap means 32 are effectively rotativ-ely received and mounted around the horizontal support bar means 27 so that the weight of the infant 31 will at all times maintain the infants seat S and the infant 31 in the depending position clearly shown in FIG. 2, irrespective of rolling movement of the entire device along the floor surface 18.

In the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, the infants seat S is shown as being of a type having a flexible fabric (or the like) buttock-receiving portion 34 provided with a pair of leg apertures 34A and having at what might be termed the upper four corners thereof four upwardly directed strap members 32, with each strap member 32 having at the top thereof a controllably engageable and disengageable strap loop portion of the type referred to hereinbefore and designated at 33. It will be noted that the two strap loop portions 33 carried by the two similarly side positioned strap members 32 on either side of the infants seat S are effectively overlapped, as is perhaps best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, so that each such overlapped pair of strap loop portions 33 may be said to effectively comprise a strap loop means for that particular pair of strap members 32 carried by that particular side of the infants seat S. It should also be noted that each such overlapped pair of strap loop portions 33, effectively comprising such a combination strap loop means for the corresponding side pair of strap members 32, loosely and relatively rotatively engages and is looped around a corresponding portion of the horizontal support bar 27 between laterally adjacent radially outwardly enlarged collars 35 of the two pairs of such collars which are spaced apart on opposite sides of the center of the horizontal support bar means 27 whereby to properly position each of said overlapped pairs of said strap loop portions 33 for proper support of the infants seat S and whereby to prevent said strap loop portions 33 from longitudinally sliding in either direction along the horizontal support bar means 27.

It will be noted that, in the exemplary form of the invention, each overlapped pair of strap loop portions 33 has a controllably engageable and disengageable fastener means, one exemplary type of which is generally designated at 36 as best shown in FIG. 5. It will be noted that the controllably engageable and disengageable fastener means generally designated at 36 in FIG. 5

effectively comprises a double snap fastener having a first male snap fastener element 36M and an oppositely directed male snap fastener element 36M carried by the inner one of each overlapped pair of strap loop portions 33, and further comprises a first female snap fastener element 36F carried by the oppositely positioned end of said inner strap loop portion 33 in a position for forcible resilient snap fastening cooperation with respect to the first-mentioned male snap fastener element 361M for locking same together whereby to firmly fasten said inner (or underneath) strap loop portion 33 around the corresponding portion of the horizontal support bar 27 and between the corresponding collar portions 35 thereof. The other similarly side positioned strap member 32 has its strap loop portion 33 (comprising an outer strap loop portion) overlapped and placed around the outside of the just described inner strap loop portion 33 and is provided at the end thereof with a second female snap fastener element 36F which is adapted to be forcibly resiliently snapped into engaged relationship with respect to the second-mentioned male snap fastener element 36M whereby to effectively fasten both of said overlapped strap loop portions 33 together and in supported relationship around the corresponding portion of the horizontal support bar 27 and between the corresponding pair of collar portions 35, thus causing the two overlapped strap loop portions 33 to effectively comprise what might be termed a strap loop means which is effectively interconnected or fastened together adjacent the top thereof and in the supported relationship best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The other pair of overlapped strap loop portions 33 are adapted to be similarly interconnected and similarly mounted around the other portion of the horizontal support bar 27 positioned between the other pair of collar portions 35 as is perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, with the mounting of each pair of said overlapped strap loop portions 33 being such as to effectively rotatively mount the infants seat 29 as is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and fragmentarily in H68. 3 and 5. The above-mentioned type of controllably engageable and disengageable snap fastener means 36 makes it possible to remove the entire infants seat S Whenever desired, such as for laundering or cleaning same, or for any other purpose, and also makes it possible to just as easily replace it in mounted relationship on the support bar 27, when desired. However, it should be clearly noted that both the type of controllably engageable and disengageable fastener means 36 and even the structure of the complete infants seat S may be modified sub stantially within the broad scope of the present invention and, in certain forms of the invention, the controllably engageable and disengageable fastener means 36 may be eliminated entirely, and means may be provided for sliding said strap loop portions 33 off of one end or the other of the support bar means 27. This may be made possible by arranging to have one or the other end of said support bar 27 readily disengaged from the corresponding mounting means 28 and, in certain cases, might also be facilitated by modifying or eliminating the collar means 35. All of these modifications lie within the broad scope of the present invention and are intended to be included and comprehended herein as fully as if specifically described, illustrated, and claimed in detail. It should be noted that, in the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, the complete enclosure means 11 is made of a substantially transparent material, which is usually a plastic material and which, in one preferred form thereof, may comprise an acrylic resin plastic material of the type commonly known in the art as Plexiglas or Lucite, although various other suitable materials may be employed in lieu thereof, and it should be specifically understood that the invention is not specifically limited to said preferred exemplary material. Indeed, various forms of polyethylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl resin, or any other plastic material having the desired characteristics might be employed in lieu. thereof.

It should be noted that the cylindrical exterior of the complete cylindrical side wall portion 12 may be said to effectively comprise rollable floor-contacting exterior surface means, a bottom portion of which is normally adapted to rest upon the horizontal floor, such as is clearly shown at 18 in FIGS. 2 and 6, and the complete exterior of which is adapted to roll along said floor 18 for rolling transporting movement of the entire enclosure means 11 from one location to another, usually while the infants seat S (and also usually the infant 31) eifectively rotates with respect to the horizontal support bar means 27 and remains in the depending position clearly shown in FIG. 2.

It should also be noted that the uppermost one (11A in FIGS. 1 and 2) of the two substantially semicylin-drical portions of the enclosure means 11, the hinge means 17, and the latching means 21, may be said to effectively comprise entry and access door means for the purposes of providing easy access into the interior I of the enclosure means 11 for placing the infant 31 therein and for removing the infant 31 therefrom when desired.

FIG. 6 merely illustrates the rolling movement of the entire enclosure means along the floor surface 18 through an open door 37, and it will be noted that the width of the door limits the width of the enclosure means 11 if it is intended to be rolled through such a door 37 from one room to' another. However, this in no way reduces the effectiveness of the complete enclosure means 11 as a safety pen since this provides entirely adequate room in the hollow interior of the enclosure means 11 for the infant 31. It should also be noted that the enclosure means 11 can be made whatever height is required in order to properly support the infant 31 therein since there is no low vertical obstruction within the door 37 which would prevent the enclosure means 11, even if relatively high, from rolling therethrough as is clearly shown in FIG. 6.

A plurality of playthings or toys to occupy the infants attention may be mounted on the central portion of the horizontal support bar means 27 as indicated generally at 58 in FIGS. 2 and 7, and each such plaything or toy might be mounted on a bead chain, such as shown at .39, which can be effectively fastened and unfastened in various selected loop lengths by con-ventional type end junction means conventionally provided on such bead chains and usually comprising a hollow receiver slotted on one side and adapted to receive therein an opposite end bead element. This type of fastening and engagement means is not shown in detail since such arrangements are well known in the art. Furthermore, it should be noted that various other means for mounting toys in order to amuse the child 31 may be employed in lieu of the exemplary arrangement illustrated and just described.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific description thereof set forth in this application are for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specific structure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore. Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantially equivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventive concept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A safety pen for an infant, comprising: a substantially cylindrical hollow enclosure means including substantially cylindrical side wall means substantially cylindrical around a centrally positioned normally horizontally directed imaginary axis and having integral oppositely outwardly convex end wall means similarly symmetrically positioned with respect to said normally horizontal imaginary axis and sealingly closing off opposite ends of said cylindrical side wall means, said enclosure means being provided with controllably openable and closable entry and access means, said opposite end wall means of said enclosure means being provided with normally horizontally directed support bar means in a position substantially concentric with respect to said side wall means and said end wall means of said enclosure means and extending centrally horizontally across the hollow interior of said enclosure means; an infants seat of a type having a flexible fabric buttock-receiving portion provided with a pair of leg apertures and having at each side thereof a pair of upwardly directed strap members having effectively interconnected controllably engageable and disengageable strap loop portions at the tops thereof comprising corresponding strap loop means rotatively carried by said horizontal support bar means; the cylindrical exterior of said cylindrical side wall means effectively comprising rollable floor-contacting exterior surface means, a bottom portion of which is normally adapted to rest uponan auxiliary substantially horizontal underlying floor and the complete exterior of which is adapted to roll along said floor for rolling transporting movement of the entire enclosure means from one location to another while said infants seat means effectively rotates with respect to said horizontal support bar means and remains in depending relationship with respect thereto during such rolling transporting movement of said enclosure means from one location to another.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said enclosure means is made of substantially transparent plastic material.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said end wall means of said enclosure means is provided with a plura1- ity of ventilation aperture means for facilitating the circulation of air through the hollow interior of said enclosure means. 4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said enclosure me-ans is made of substantially transparent plastic material, said end wall means of said enclosure means being provided with a plurality of ventilation aperture means for facilitating the circulation of air through the hollow interior of said enclosure means.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said enclosure means is divided into two substantially similar substantially semicylindrical portions each having a substantially semicylindrical side wall portion and each having corresponding end wall portions with adjacent rear side wall portions being effectively provided with exteriorly fiush and non-projecting hinge means effectively hingedly interconnecting same and with adjacent front side wall portions being provided with controllably lockable and unlockable manually operable latching means for normally controllably effectively fastening and locking said front edges of said side wall means together, one of said substantially semicylindrical portions of said enclosure means, said hinge means and said latching means effectively comprising said entry and access means.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said support bar means is provided With two pairs of horizontally spaced vertically radially enlarged positioning collars, each pair of which rotatively receives and mounts therebetween a corresponding different one of said two strap loop means at the top of the two corresponding laterally spaced pairs of upwardly directed strap members carrying said infants seat therebelow.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the two strap loop portions comprising each of said two laterally spaced strap loop means are provided with controllably engageable and disengageable snap fastener means for controllable opening and closing of each of said strap loop means.

87 A safety pen for an infant comprising a substantially cylindrical hollow enclosure means including substantially cylindrical side wall means substantially cylindrical around a centrally positioned normally horizontally directed imaginary axis and having end wall means similarly symmetrically positioned with respect to said normally horizontal imaginary axis and sealingly closing off opposite ends of said cylindrical side wall means, said enclosure means being provided with controllably openable and closable entry and access means, said enclosure means being provided with normally horizontally directed support bar means in a position substantially concentric with respect to said side wall means and said end wall means of said enclosure means and extending centrally horizontally across the hollow interior of said enclosure means, said support bar means being adapted to be substantially centrally rotatively provided with a depending infants seat, the cylindrical exterior of said cylindrical side wall means effectively comprising rollable floor-contacting exterior surface means, a bottom portion of which is normally adapted to rest upon an auxiliary substantially horizontal underlying floor and the complete exterior of which is adapted to roll along said floor for rolling transporting movement of the entire enclosure means from one location to another while said infants seat means effectively rotates with respect to said horizontal support bar means and remains in depending relationship with respect thereto during such rolling transporting movement of said enclosure means from one location to another.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said enclosure means is made of substantially transparent material.

10. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said enclosure means is provided with ventilation aperture means for facilitating the circulation of air through the hollow interior of said enclosure means.

11. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said enclosure means is made of substantially transparent plastic material, said end wall means of said enclosure means being provided with a plurality of ventilation aperture means for facilitating the circulation of air through the hollow interior of said enclosure means.

12,. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said enclosure means is divided into two substantially similar substantially semicylindrical portions each having a substantially semicylindrical side wall portion and each having corresponding end wall portions with adjacent rear side wall portions being efilectively provided with exteriorly flush and non-projecting hinge means effectively hingedly interconnecting same and with adjacent front side wall portions being provided with controllably lockable and unlockable manually operable latching means for normally controllably effectively fastening and locking said front edges of said side wall means together, one of said substantially semicylindrical portions of said enclosure means, said hinge means and said latching means effectively comprising said entry and access means.

13. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said support bar means is provided with two pairs of horizontally spaced vertically radially enlarged positioning collars, each pair of which is adapted to rotatively receive and mount therebetween corresponding upper strap loop means carried at the upper ends of corresponding strap members attached to each side of said depending infants seat and extending upwardly therefrom for rotatively supporting said infants seat.

14. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein said support bar means is provided with two pairs of horizontally spaced vertically radially enlarged positioning collars, each pair of which is adapted to rotatively receive and mount therebetween corresponding upper flexible controllably openable and closable strap loop means carried at the upper ends of corresponding strap members attached to each side of said depending infants seat and extending upwardly therefrom for rotatively supporting said infants seat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,529,951 11/1950 Kaye 599 3,000,022 9/1961 Cathey et a1 280206 X FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SAFETY PEN FOR AN INFANT, COMPRISING: A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW ENCLOSURE MEANS INCLUDING SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL AROUND A CENTRALLY POSITIONED NORMALLY HORIZONTALLY DIRECTED IMAGINARY AXIS AND HAVING INTEGRAL OPPOSITELY OUTWARDLY CONVEX END WALL MEANS SIMILARLY SYMMETRICALLY POSITIONED WITH RESPECT TO SAID NORMALLY HORIZONTAL IMAGINARY AXIS AND SEALINGLY CLOSING OFF OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL MEANS, SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH CONTROLLABLY OPENABLE AND CLOSABLE ENTRY AND ACCESS MEANS, SAID OPPOSITE END WALL MEANS OF SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH NORMALLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTED SUPPORT BAR MEANS IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC WITH RESPECT TO SAID SIDE WALL MEANS AND SAID END WALL MEANS OF SAID CLOSURE MEANS AND EXTENDING CENTRALLY HORIZONTALLY ACROSS THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS; AND INFANT''S SEAT OF A TYPE HAVING A FLEXIBLE FABRIC BUTTOCK-RECEIVING PORTION PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF LEG APERTURES AND HAVING AT EACH SIDE THEREOF A PAIR OF UPWARDLY DIRECTED STRAP MEMBERS HAVING EFFECTIVELY INTERCONNECTED CONTROLLABLY ENGAGEABLE AND DISENGAGEABLE STRAP LOOP PORTIONS AT THE TOPS THEREOF COMPRISING CORRESPONDING STRAP LOOPS MEANS ROTATIVELY CARRIED BY SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT BAR MEANS; THE CYLINDRICAL EXTERIOR OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL MEANS EFFECTIVELY COMPRISING ROLLABLE FLOOR-CONTACTING EXTERIOR SURFACE MEANS, A BOTTOM PORTION OF WHICH IS NORMALLY ADAPTED TO REST UPON AN AUXILIARY SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL UNDERLYING FLOOR AND THE COMPLETE EXTERIOR OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ROLL ALONG SAID FLOOR FOR ROLLING TRANSPORTING MOVEMENT OF THE ENTIRE ENCLOSURE MEANS FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER WHILE SAID INFANT''S SEAT MEANS EFFECTIVELY ROTATES WITH RESPECT TO SAID HORIZONTAL SUPPORT BAR MEANS AND REMAINS IN DEPENDING RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT THERETO DURING SUCH ROLLING TRANSPORTING MOVEMENT OF SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER. 